Too often, in this fast-paced business, organization and forethought in marketing and branding are overlooked or forgotten completely.
More than anything, it’s vital that your marketing and branding be consistent. At some point in your career, you will most likely change real estate companies, your company will be sold or change names, or become affiliated with a franchise or drop a former affiliation. One company I worked for changed names and colors three times in less than nine years. If your brand is consistent, the company won’t matter; consumers and the industry at large will continue to know it’s you just by the look of the pieces and collateral you distribute.
Plan for your business to grow by anticipating growth. Wouldn’t it be great if you could build a huge, sustainable business that’s not dependent on you or your name? If you put your ego aside, you’ll find that the answer is yes. Many people are gravitating away from referring to their team based on their own name—an idea I wish I’d thought of when I started my team over 35 years ago. Do the research and you’ll find that with most large teams in the country, you have no way to guess the main point person. If you anticipate this kind of growth and plan from the beginning, your branding can stay consistent no matter what.
Colors, logos and slogans are also vital. Colors, as you’ve probably already guessed, need to be inviting and attractive. Whether you get help from professionals or simply look around the web to see what’s inviting and attractive to yourself and others, don’t be afraid to seek out people more experienced in this field. For me personally, colors and logos are two of the main things I have continually sought help with through the emergence of my brand over the years.
When it comes to slogans, it’s important to be original. “A House SOLD Name” was a slogan I saw used in seven different states during one of my speaking tours in 2005. Your slogan can play off your name, your background, your previous career, or your passions. It could also be none of those—in fact, I have a friend who worked as an engineer in the high-tech world of Northern California, and when she became a real estate agent, she used “Engineering Your Success in Real Estate” as her slogan.
I could write volumes about the massive subject of branding; however, use these quick tips as a starting point before going out and looking for more knowledge on the topic. As my friend Dave Jenks, a famous author, once said: “You want to be first in the mind of your consumer public when they think of real estate.”
Rick Geha of The Rick Geha Real Estate Team began his real estate career at age 22 and has been selling for over 36 years and has run, managed or owned real estate offices for the past 23 years. His love of people and mentoring their passions has led him to a successful career as a speaker, trainer and coach. Over the past 15 years, he’s led more than 1,000 classes and workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada, in addition to presenting keynote addresses to thousands of professionals from all industries and walks of life. He is currently a coach with Workman Success Systems. Contact him at Rick@RickGeha.com.
For more information, please visit www.workmansuccesssystems.com.
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